Candle Care

A good candle, burned well, gives back more than it cost you. Burned carelessly, it burns fast and unevenly. Here is everything we'd tell a friend.

The first burn

Always at least two hours. The wax should melt all the way to the edge of the glass before you put it out — otherwise the candle will tunnel, and tunnelled candles never recover. This is the single most important thing.

Trim the wick

Before every burn, trim the wick to 5mm. A trimmed wick gives a clean flame; an untrimmed one mushrooms, smokes, and stains the glass. Use scissors, a wick trimmer, or your fingers (when the wax is hard and cool).

Burn time per session

Two to four hours. Never longer than four. Beyond that the wax warms the vessel through, the wick drifts, and the fragrance starts to dull. Let the candle rest, cool completely, then re-light.

How to extinguish

• Best — a wick dipper. Push the wick into the wax pool, then lift it back out.
• Good — the lid (it suffocates the flame and traps the residual smoke).
• Avoid — blowing it out. It scatters wax, smokes the room, and can splash hot wax onto the rim.

When to retire it

When there is roughly 1cm of wax left at the bottom, retire the candle. Burning closer than that will overheat the glass.

What to do with the empty vessel

Empty vessels are meant to be kept. Place the empty candle in the freezer for an hour — the remaining wax will pop out cleanly. Wash with warm water and a little soap. Use the glass for a small bouquet, a single tealight, pencils, paperclips, anything quiet.

Safety, in brief

• Never leave a burning candle unattended.
• Burn on a heat-safe surface, away from drafts and anything flammable.
• Keep out of reach of children, pets, and curious hands.
• Stop using the candle when only 1cm of wax remains.